Capcom Shrugs Off Critical Mauling of Chun-Li Movie

Despite the latest Street Fighter movie being almost universally panned, Capcom is still optimistic about its upcoming forays into the world of cinema.

Chris Kramer, Capcom's Senior Director of Corporate Communications, said today in an interview, "Critics were unkind to the first Street Fighter movie as well, but that film has been ridiculously profitable for Capcom over the last decade. The original SF movie still generates millions of dollars in royalties for Capcom every year, thanks to cable, foreign distribution, home video, DVD and Blu-ray sales. And Capcom would be receiving even more money if that had been a co-production deal!"

So mediocrity is totally acceptable just as long as it's profitable. Capcom is also set to release 3 new movies based on some of its other IPs - Onimusha, Lost Planet and Clock Tower.

Kramer talked about Capcom's more hands-on approach with these upcoming films, saying, "About five years ago, Capcom decided to adopt the same approach to its IP that Marvel has adopted. Going forward, all major theatrical productions based on Capcom licenses will be co-produced - we're through with the idea of taking a check and throwing our IP over the wall."

Hopefully Capcom's co-production on its upcoming films will keep them closer to their source material, though given the abysmal track record of videogame movies to actually resemble what they're based on, it's a poor bet.

While the original Street Fighter movie had camp value going for it, critic's responses to The Legend of Chun-Li haven't even given it that. Nathan Rabin of The Onion's A.V. Club had this to say in his review: "Chun-Li understandably wasn't screened for critics. It shouldn't be screened for audiences, either. Even Uwe Boll could have done better; at least he makes terrible videogame adaptations with a little personality."

Yikes. If a movie being described as sub-Uwe Boll isn't enough to make potential viewers run far, far away from the theater in terror while ripping out clumps of their hair, I don't know what is.